Biden 'absolutely comfortable' with gay marriage

Vice President Joe Biden said he doesn't know if a second Obama administration would support same-sex marriage, but he said he's "absolutely comfortable" with it.

"Look-- I just think-- that-- the good news is that as more and more Americans become to understand what this is all about is a simple proposition. Who do you love? Who do you love? And will you be loyal to the person you love? And that's what people are finding out is what-- what all marriages, at their root, are about. Whe-- whether they're-- marriages of lesbians or gay men or heterosexuals," Biden said in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

President Barack Obama has said his views are still evolving on the matter, although he is for civil unions.

"I am vice president of the United States of America. The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. And quite frankly, I don't see much of a distinction-- beyond that," Biden said.

He suggested to host David Gregory that as society has become accustomed to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people,the door has opened for instituting federal measures to protect them, from executive orders banning discrimination to the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.

"And by the way, my measure, David, and I take a look at when things really begin to change, is when the social culture changes. I think Will and Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody's ever done so far. And I think-- people fear that which is different. Now they're beginning to understand," Biden said.

"I-- I was with-- speaking to a group of gay leaders in-- in Los Angeles-- la-- two, two weeks ago. And one gentleman looked at me in the question period and said, 'Let me ask you, how do you feel about us?' And I had just walked into the back door of this gay couple and they're with their two adopted children. And I turned to the man who owned the house. I said, 'What did I do when I walked in?' He said, 'You walked right to my children. They were 7 and 5, giving you flowers.' And I said, 'I wish every American could see the look of love those kids had in their eyes for you guys. And they wouldn't have any doubt about what this is about.'"

UPDATE: An aide said in a statement after Biden's interview was broadcast that the vice president's views are still "evolving."

"The Vice President was saying what the President has said previously - that committed and loving same-sex couples deserve the same rights and protections enjoyed by all Americans, and that we oppose any effort to rollback those rights," the statement said. "That's why we stopped defending the constitutionality of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in legal challenges and support legislation to repeal it. Beyond that, the Vice President was expressing that he too is evolving on the issue, after meeting so many committed couples and families in this country."